Cars and Music are very much alike, after all.

"BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion" (pbs) 04/21/2014 at 16:26 • Filed to: None

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Disclaimer: this is somewhat of a revision of a thing I wrote on a whim yesterday to address the usual people asking why we like cars. Obviously, none of this, specially the swings at the hipster elitists and phoney thinkers is aimed at Oppo but I wrote most of it on a tiny touchscreen so you bet your ass it's worth the repost :p

In all these years as a car enthusiast, I think I've taken more flak for liking and understanding cars than any kind of credit for having something that I like and do well. I've had people telling me that cars are the devil of modern society and must be shunned. I've had people telling me that a car's only as good as its price tag is full of zeroes for the status that comes with it. I've had armchair "experts" claiming a properly maintained old car is always inferior to a brand new one. I've even had people, perhaps all the people I know and some I can barely remember by name, ask me why I like cars and then dismiss me as weird or crazy as I tried to explain.

Truth is, loving cars can only be explained as much as loving music can be explained, as cars and music are very much alike. I know people, several people in fact, who would downright cringe at the analogy. Hipster elitists and self proclaimed "thinker" types who believe they have the world so well figured out that any ideas not coming from their heads are worthless and would be quick to turn this into a political/ideological argument of sorts. This piece is not for them. My analogy stands as I feel I need to put my own thoughts regarding the matter in perspective so I can better understand them myself and cars and music are the two things I enjoy enough to get to a common ground.

Now, assume one is capable of taking pleasure in driving and appreciating a car in the same way one takes pleasure in playing and listening to music. It might not make sense when driving is seen very much as a chore, but give it a try anyways. Done? Good, now we can argue that, juat as music comes in a multitude of styles, so do cars. There are the seasonal "Top 40" hits, pop cars aimed at the general public which enjoy a period of popularity before aging into oblivion and being replaced by a newer, not too different model the next year. There are the specialty productions, each with a well defined character and aimed at a discerning public of fansband enthusiasts, without necessarily trying to please the pop maintream. There are the eternal classics which are as good today as they were when new, some of which perfectly encapsulate the geist of the era they were built in the same way music does. There are the failures and rejects that become cool after multiple samplings or a well done remix or cover, those unsuspecting cars with huge aftermarket potential for those buyers/tinkerers/remixers willing to take a risk. There are the legends which changed the way things were done with a stroke of mechanical genius on a drawing board or racetrack. There are those hits whose bands have long broken up but still live on in our hearts, like Pontiac and Her GTOs. There are even the obscure pieces and songs you've probably never heard of. Borgward Isabella anyone?

Much in the same way in which there is a multitude of automotive styles to pick from, there is a diverse "listening public" doing the picking. There is a non discerning mainstreambpublic to music who will listen to whatever's on the radio at the moment so they have something, anything to listen to regardless of whether they enjoy it, and there's a non discerning public to cars, comprised of non enthusiasts who will drive whatever's on sale right now just so they have something to drive rom A to B without much headache. There is a portion of music listeners who only care about the image or perceived "power" brought on by a specific musical style, and there are automotive posers, who will brag and showoff that their car is faster/bigger/more expensive than everyone else's without, in fact, knowing squat about how automobiles work or what makes a good one. These guys often try and pass off as enthusiasts, hurting the automotive scene by perpetuating the very same stereotypes the non discerning public outrages about. And then you have us enthusiasts, or the discerning public, who, very much like music fans, take a genuine like to one or more types of specialty cars, be they american muscle cars, european exotics, japanese sporty cars or anything in between. We choose what we like in very much the same way music fans choose what they like, be it Rock, Jazz, Hip Hop and everything in between: by sticking to what pleases us. Could be a balanced ride, a lightweight chassis, a powerful engine, an exhaust note or a simply well sculpted bodywork, those are all the things that give enthusiast cars their own unique character.

The comparisons don't end there however, as cars are very much like music beyond just their types and publics.

Much in the same way in which you can listen to something written in the 60's and like it, you can drive something made in the 60's and enjoy it because in cars, very much like in music, technical advances don't mean a newer car is subjectively better, just that it's different.

Much in the same way in which there are songs far ahead of their time, there are cars, such as the 1960's Citroën DS, with such amazing technology they are still advanced today.

Much in the same way in which musical fans can appreciate a perfectly tuned instrument, we can appreciate perfectly tuned mechanicals at work

Much in the same way that there are incredible stories, sometimes filled with transgression, depression and substance abuse, sorrounding the creation of legendary tracks and albums, there are incredible stories, sometimes filled with transgression, danger and ingenuity sorrounding the creation of legendary cars or runnings of legendary races.

Much in the same way in which one needs practice and talent to play a song well, one needs practice and talent to drive a racecar well. Racing is often recognized as the most difficult task in sports due to the mental and physical demands of dealing with extreme forces and split second actions and decisions for extended periods of time.

Much in the same way in which music can be used as a form of expression or simply be given a personal twist by a skilled player, so can our cars and driving styles be an extension of ourselves, as opposed to the form of overcompensation the car hating public would have you believe.

In all these years as a gearhead, I've had many people ask me why and how I like cars so much and I could never properly explain myself. Honestly, I still can't, because enjoying cars, very much like enjoying music, can't be explained, but is it really that hard to understand?

CalzoneGolem > BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion 04/21/2014 at 16:30

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I've never met anyone that is confused that I like cars. It is acceptable as liking sports as far as I can tell.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > CalzoneGolem 04/21/2014 at 16:33

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I wish I was that lucky... liking cars in Brazil is either rare, or twisted into stereotypes of dumb, often rich people overcompensating for tiny dicks hahahahah...